"We applaud him", "He was a beast today" - Real Madrid fans hail 24-year-old star who 'everyone doubted' after his display in draw vs Atletico

Real Madrid fans were thrilled with Brahim Diaz's display in his side's 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid on Sunday night (February 4).

Diaz was brought into Carlo Ancelotti's starting lineup at the last minute due to Vinicius Junior picking up an injury. The Spaniard would make a significant impact on his eighth La Liga start of the season.

The former AC Milan scored the opener in the 20th minute and did so in fine fashion. He pounced on a loose ball in the visitors' box before prodding home to give Real Madrid the lead.

That goal was well deserved as Diaz was without a doubt the man of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu. He also made three key passes, won seven of 11 ground duels, and completed four of seven dribble attempts.

Diaz's goal looked to have given Real Madrid all three points until the 90+3rd minute. Marcos Llorente headed home a last-gasp equalizer to nick a point for Diego Simeone's men.

Los Blancos' failure to see the game out didn't take away from a stellar showing from Diaz. There were some question marks when he returned from his loan spell at Milan this past summer.

However, one fan thinks the one-cap Spain international has proven his doubters wrong:

"Almost everyone doubted Brahim's signing. Proving everyone wrong. Always knew his talent had an immense potential."

Another fan lauded the former Manchester City youngster:

"Brahim Diaz, wow. That was one of the best individual performances of the season and he only found out he was starting two minutes before kick-off. We applaud him."

One fan labeled him:

"Good player. He was a beast today."

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Diaz's display in Real Madrid's draw against their arch-rivals:

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Brahim Diaz comments on replacing Vinicius Junior just minutes before Real Madrid clashed with Atletico

Brahim Diaz was on the bench when he found out he was starting.

There was a major concern when Vinicius pulled out of Real Madrid's pre-match training preparations. Ancelotti could have opted to start Joselu who bagged a double in a 2-0 win against Getafe last time out.

However, the Italian coach chose to throw Diaz into his starting lineup and it was a clever tactical decision. The Spaniard touched on when he found out he was starting (via Madrid Zone):

"I was on the bench, then they suddenly they told me that I’m starting."

Diaz has started earning plaudits for consistent performances and tonight was one of his best in Los Blancos colors. He's taken his tally for the season to seven goals and three assists in 26 games across competitions.